It was a day of big seed upsets on the fourth day of the ATP and WTA Italian Open in Rome on Thursday. Victoria Azarenka switched with eas...
It was a day of big seed upsets on the fourth day of the ATP and WTA Italian Open in Rome on Thursday.
Victoria Azarenka switched with ease from her impressive form on the hard court in the United States last week to clay in Rome sweeping past third Sofia Kenin 6-0, 6-0 to advance to the third round.
The US Open runner-up followed on from her straight sets win over Venus Williams in the first round at Foro Italico, dispatching Australian Open champion Kenin in just over an hour.
The 31-year-old former world number one, who won her first tournament since 2016 in Cincinatti, did not drop a game and faced no break points, hitting 57 winners against to the American’s 29.
“I think my consistency was the key to the scoreline, I think I used my serve smart today,” said Azarenka who next plays Russian Daria Kasatkina for a place in the quarter-finals.
Dutch fifth seed Kiki Bertens also exited in the second round to Slovenian Polona Hercog 6-4, 6-4. But ninth seed Garbine Muguruza dropped a set before rallying past 16-year-old American Cori Gauff 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-3.
Former French Open champion Muguruza next plays Johanna Konta, the seventh seed, and a runner-up last season. The British player eased...
